The treatment of cancer has undergone evolutionary changes as understanding of the underlying biological processes has improved. Tumor removal surgeries have been documented in ancient Egypt, hormone therapy was developed in 1896, and radiation therapy in 1899. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and newer targeted therapies are products of the 20th century. As new information about the biology of cancer emerges, treatments are developed and modified to increase effectiveness, precision, survivability, and quality of life.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are commonly used treatments for various cancers and lead to the generation of double-strand breaks (DSBs) as intermediates during their action. Unresponsive and relapsed tumors are resistant to both these modalities. It is believed that NHEJ proteins which are involved in DNA double-strand break repair play a major role in providing resistance to cancer cells against these agents. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is one of the two major pathways that repairs double-strand breaks in DNA. One of the enzymes involved in sealing of DSBs during NHEJ is DNA Ligase IV.
In a nutshell, there is a necessity to develop better and efficient therapies for managing cancer.